Boning system of girdles, corsets, and the like



March 19, 1957 BEURlE 2,785,408

BONING SYSTEM OF GIRDLES, CORSETS, AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1955 A. E. J. M. BEURIE March 19, 1 957 BONING SYSTEM OF GIRDLES, CORSETS, AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18, 1955 United States Patent BONING SYSTEM OF GIRDLES, CORSETS, AND THE LIKE Andr Edmond Jules Marie Beuri, Paris, France Application April 18, 1955, Serial No. 502,679

Claims priority, application France April 30, 1954 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-36) It is known to carry out the boning of girdles, corsets and similar articles in such a way as to ensure the support of the material in the direction of its height and of its width at the same time, whilst preserving the required flexibility by means of incurved flexible members which are associated with all or part of the front.

In particular, it has been proposed to utilise as flexible members, stilfeners of the twisted type, constituted by a metallic coil flattened transversely, these having good flexibility, not only at right angles to their plane but also in their plane in a direction transverse to their length. These twisted metallic stiffeners, or flexible members constituted by another material, having similar properties, are inserted in incurved guides so as to extend at the same time over the height of the front and to the vicinity of the upper edge of the said front.

In this method of boning, which comprises the insertion of each twisted stiffener in a slide formed specially to receive it, replacement of a broken or worn stiffener has been provided for by forming one or a number of openings in the guide.

In the practical form of this boning system, it has been found necessary to encase or sheath these stiffeners by any desired means, for example by a tubular braiding. This casing prevents the metal of the stitfeners being left exposed where the openings occur, which is apt to produce an uncomfortable metallic contact on the ladys body. In addition, this casing serves to facilitate extraction of the stiffener when this has broken, without having to undo the seams of the slide in order to remove the broken member.

A sheath or casing of this kind constitutes a complication and results in appreciable costs of manufacture. This drawback is further increased by the fact that at the extremities of the stiffener, the casing must have one of its ends fixed, and this is usually effected by soaking in collodion or sticking with a suitable adhesive.

The present invention has for its object improvements in boning systems of this kind and is directed to the removal of these complications and the avoidance of these drawbacks.

These improvements consist in forming in the front of the girdle a pocket having the outline of the incurved stiffening member, and in inserting in this pocket the movable flexible member, the convex outer part of which thus becomes applied against the outline of the pocket, the inner concave part remaining free. In order to introduce the flexible member into the pocket or to remove it from the pocket, a slot is provided, preferably vertically in the pocket.

This arrangement removes the necessity for the provision of openings provided in previously known arrangements. The incurved flexible member can be very easily and rapidly removed, either to replace it in case of breakage, or for washing purposes, through the simple linear slot which is practically invisible and without extent of contact, and which can be provided at the front and on the front side of the front of the girdle.

In case of breakage, the broken member is not retained in a guide, and can thus be extracted from the pocket through the slot without any difliculty.

The result of this is that the flexible member, metallic stiffener or the like can be used without a casing, which constitutes an appreciable advantage and a substantial economy in labour and materials.

As there can be no contact of the metallic stiffener with the ladys body, the use of bare stiifeners without casings or coverings has no disadvantage. In addition, for this reason, the article is given greater thinness and better finish which are always appreciated by the wearer.

The attached drawings show, by way of example only and not in any restrictive sense, one form of construction of the boning in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 1 is a partial view of a girle showing the mounting of the boning system in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view with a portion broken away to show the arrangement of the incurved stiffening member.

The girdle shown is made up of the portion 1 of elastic or other material, connected to a portion 2 of non-elastic material which forms the front. On this front are arranged the stiffening member or members.

In the example shown, the stiffening member is formed by a twisted metallic stiffener 3, that is to say it is formed by a flattened metallic coil. This twisted stiffener has a flexibility in its plane which enables it to be given the incurved form shown, which ensures the tensioning of the front 2 at the same time vertically by means of its lateral limbs and in width along the edge of the front.

it will be understood that the use of twisted metallic stifl'eners is not exclusive and any other boning constituted by another material and having similar properties may be used. In the same way, instead of a single stiffener, a number of these may be provided. The stiifeners may also be arranged, not only along the upper edge 4, but also at 5 at the lower level of the stiffening 3 and either outside or inside this stiffener.

The twisted metal stiffener 3 is used bare without sheathing. It is inserted between the two thicknesses of material which constitute the front 2, inside a pocket 6. This pocket is formed by joining the two thicknesses of material by sewing round at 7 to follow the outer contour of the curve which the stiffener 3 is to follow. On the other hand, on the inside of this contour, in the concave portion, the space between the two thicknesses of material is left free. The pocket is closed by a seam S widely spaced away from the seam 7.

On the front part of the girdle, for example in the centre of the front 2, is provided a slit 9'. A ribbon 10, serving as a means of taking hold of the stiffener 3 is attached to the said stiffener.

As can be seen, the stiffener 3 is introduced through the slit 9 into the pocket 6. When inserted in the latter, it is forced to follow the seam 7, thus ensuring the desired vertical and horizontal tension of the material. However, instead of being enclosed in a slide formed by two seams following the incurved contour, the stiffener is forced against the convex side but is free on the concave side. This freedom facilitates insertion of the stiffener in the pocket 6. It also permits of easy and very rapid extraction.

The stiffener 3 is of course designed so as to provide a suiiicient rigidity in the plane of the front 2 so as not to fall into the free space of the pocket 6'.

For the purpose of washing the girdle or replacing the stitfener 3 in case of breakage, the latter is withdrawn by pulling on the ribbon and passing the stiffener through the slot 9. If a broken part of the stiffener remains in the pocket 6, it is easily withdrawn through the slit 9. The replacement of .a .stifiener by a new one is done immediately.

The shape of the seam 7 is fixed in accordance with the contour which it is desired to give to the stiffener 3 and the amount of stifiening effect which it is desired to obtain. The seam .8 on :the other hand can be of any shape and placed in any position. It will suifice for it to be spaced, far enough apart from the seam '7 to give the pocket 6 enough width to receive the developed length of the stiffener 3 during the insertion or the removal of this latter. This seam 8 can also serve to give a decorative eifect to the front 2.

What I claim is:

A ladys girdle comprising a body of elastic woven material and a front portion of non-elastic material, the said front portion having at least two thicknesses of material sewn together along their edges, an outer concave seam along a contour in the shape of an open loop of .concave form extending substantially over the entire height of the said front portion, an inner concave seam .having its lower ends joining the lower ends of the outer concave seam and its upper portion spaced widely away from the upper portion of the outer concave seam, the said concave seams forming a pocket between the two thicknesses of material, a vertical slit being provided at the upper part of the .said pocket and an incurved flexible member movable through the said slit disposed in said pocket, the said member following the innereurve of the contour of the'said outer concave seam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS France Nov. 7, 19 12 

